Dozens of anti-cancer therapies available clinically or under development involve stimulation of the immune system's ability either to recognize or destroy cancer, or both. Three of the most prominent are the anti-checkpoint inhibitors Yervoy® (ipilimumab) from Bristol-Myers Squibb, Keytruda® (pembrolizumab, formerly lambrolizumab) from Merck. However, these and other approaches involve net up-regulation of a subject's immune system, inducing potentially serious symptoms akin to autoimmune disorders and/or other significant side effects.
There is a need in the art for more effective pharmacological approaches for addressing cancer, particularly metastatic cancer, without disturbing a subject's capacity for avoiding auto-immunity. Among other things, the present disclosure provides methods and compositions based on alternative approaches for harnessing a subject's own immune system against cancer, including dis-inhibiting the tumor microenvironment, i.e., weakening the tumor's defensive system, versus stimulating immune cells.